Find out the best ways to see the Meteor Shower this weekend.

Astronomers think this will be the brightest meteor shower in recorded history. A once in a lifetime experience!

The Meteor Shower in the skies above the West of Scotland this weekend is expected to be the biggest and brightest in recorded human history.

Astronomers say we won't see a shower like this for another 96 years!

Here is a guide to let you make the most of this once in a lifetime experience.

The Perseid Meteor Shower

The Perseid meteor shower takes place every year between 17th July and 24th August.

It tends to be at it's peak between the 9th and 13th August and during the peak time there can be as many as 100 meteors per hour.

This year the meteor shower is expected to peak on the night of Saturday 12th, into the early hours of Sunday 13th August, although there will still be excellent visibility on the nights of the 11th and 13th.

What are Meteors?

Meteors are streaks of bright light that shoot across the sky very quickly. Very much a case of blink and you miss it!
Meteors are more commonly known as shooting stars and they can sometimes turn into bright fireballs that last a few seconds.

What do you need to do to see this weekend's Meteor Shower.

The good news is that you don’t need any special equipment to see this weekend's meteor shower. No telescope or binoculars are required as all you need are your eyes.

Here's what you have to do:

(1) First things first - you need to find the right spot. Try to find a place away from any bright lights and let your eyes get used to the dark. This will normally take around 15 to 20 minutes.

(2) Make sure you dress appropriately as August evenings in Scotland can get pretty chilly!

(3) Make sure you are comfortable. You'll get the best view if you are lying on your back looking directly upwards towards the sky. You could lie on a reclining chair or sunlounger or even just put a blanket and pillow on the ground. Make sure you use sleeping bags and blankets to keep you warm.

(4) Don't forget some some food and drink if you are planning to make a night of it.

(5) Now you can start enjoying the meteor shower and looking for shooting stars. You don't need to look in any particular direction as meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. The best thing to do is keep looking up, taking in as much of the sky as you possibly can. Just remember it can take quite a few minutes before you see a shooting star so don’t look away or you could miss one!

Let's hope for a nice dry and clear evening and if you brave the outdoors we hope you see lots of shooting stars.